Boffin House
by ReLies
Summary: In this next-next-generation adventure, Deryn's granddaughter Kate has risen to become an extremely prominent boffin. But headstrong Kate has her own ideas about her country, and decides to take matters into her own hands. As post-Great Depression America struggles to redefine itself, Kate may be the only one who can help. Rated T to be safe. Mild language.
1. Naught but Herself

No one can sleep well with a secret. It is an almost universal truth. The pressure to confide, expose, and knowingly destroy is too powerful for some, and instead of lying awake as the clocks ticked past two o'clock a malicious few will find a way to relieve themselves of guilt.

Kate Solington was not one of those people. She knew that if she passed on the secret she kept, she would hurt naught but herself.

She smiled at her thoughts as she lay sleepless in bed. _Naught_.

The Naught. That was her secret. The massive beastie hidden in the sludge beneath the Thames.

She'd slaved over the thing for years; beginning work the very day she was accepted into the boffin house. Of course, she'd had to pay off the odd inquisitive coworker, but with her salary that was rarely a problem.

It was her sense of duty that drove her mad. A conundrum, no matter which way you saw it. She knew what was right for her country, and what the public wanted. She felt obliged to take this matter into her own hands and protect her homeland and her nation. It was her _duty_. But was it not her _duty_ to serve her superiors as well? Going behind their backs to create a monumental creature was hardly serving her superiors.

The woman sighed and turned, snagging her soft-spun hair on the rough-hewn headboard. She had sold every possession of value she had and put the money towards this monumental beast. The bed she slept on was resurrected from the trash.

She cursed and attempted to untangle herself without further pain. But her hair was black as the night around her and the fickle moon did little to assist her plight.

Kate laughed. One of the most powerful boffins in England and yet here she was, trying to separate her hair from a bed frame by the light of the moon. There was no way she looked terribly graceful.

It was well-known that Kate was hyper-obsessed with her appearance. Considering the fact that she was hiding a secret poised to destroy her standing, it was rather forgivable. But considering the fact that she was peerless even in her futile hair-related plight, it was a meaningless obsession.

Rumor had it that she caught the eye of Tom Kensings, British Head of Security, during a genetic survey of their airfleet. While yes, the rumors were true, she could never fall for someone so… so… Nevermind. She could not find a single flaw in the man.

Could not, or would not, she asked herself. Was she simply refusing herself, sacrificing her social life once again for the secret she kept?

She sighed as her hair slid free of the splintering headboard. She put the scissors back on the beaten bedside table and fell back into her pillow. Oh well, she supposed. The time was almost up. Her appearance didn't matter so much anymore.

…

It wasn't even beautiful, she mused. Her masterpiece lay before her, and she couldn't deny its resemblance to a turd. The large, comical mouth and beady eyes beheld its creator with little emotion. She was praying that the beast would do its part.

The creature was engineered with the transformative powers of chameleons and cuttlefish, blended with the morphing powers of a jellyfish. Its veins were laced with the venom of seasnakes and shark-like bloodlust, but that stage was only temporary. Once it reached the pristine waters of the Ottoman empire, the massive hideousness that lay before her would hopefully disappear, leaving behind an entirely new creature.

The beastie fed on nutrients in the water. When the nutrients were pure and uncontaminated, it transformed into a gilded serpent. When pollution reached the thing's massive gills, it remained a senseless glob indistinguishable from the river bottom.

It was a secret weapon.

During her upcoming visit to the Ottoman Empire, still reeling from their disastrous civil war, she would present the beast to the Sultan. In their clean Mediterranean waters, the Naught would seem a beautiful, flawless serpent, power disguised by adornment. In the Turkish-controlled Black Sea, however, now polluted beyond repair by their Clanker machines, the beast would revert to its incognito state. The Turks would be watching for the beautiful serpent, not the hideous blob. It would slip effortlessly past their defenses. Gradually, the massive predator would destroy their navy, then transform into its amphibious form and invade the land. The plan was for the beast to cripple the Clanker Turks before they knew what was happening, opening the land lost to the Ottomans during the civil war for invasion.

The Darwinist-sympathizing Ottomans were possibly the only hope for the English. Russia was embroiled with internal issues as food ran short in the North and politicians threatened abdication. Japan was too far away, what remained of France's army was tied up in supporting their ridiculous border defenses, and Serbia and Belgium had been annexed by Germany. War was no longer impending, at least not the violent kind – rather, a political maelstrom was brewing. The Darwinists needed more influence.

The tentacles of the mollusk that served as Kate's rebreather shifted and she almost spit the thing out. She'd never gotten used to the things, and still gagged every time she put one on. Donning a Spottiswoode was no more pleasant, however, and much more conspicuous.

Vile Americans. Wasn't there a better way to make a carbon-scrubbing beastie?

America. That was what this was all about. After the government collapsed due to a floundering economy, citizens convinced themselves that sharing Clanker technologies with Darwinist philosophies was ruining their system. To them, the easiest way to revive their dead nation was by converting. They would become either entirely Darwinist or entirely Clanker. Depending on which faction had the best offer. The Unity Act decreed this, in no uncertain terms. All that remained to be determined was the party to join.

Kate broke the surface, satisfied with her creature, and swam to shore. Sand clung annoyingly to the soles of her feet as she struggled with her bootlaces, but she managed and ran back to her apartment to change. The _Gargantua_ was slated to arrive soon.

Somewhere around midday Kate arrived at the landing station. The traditional bowler cap of the boffin lay tilted at a rakish angle on her head, her dagger-straight brown hair falling around her shoulders. A lavender dress fluffed with layers of petticoats completed the picture: no one in their right mind would dare accuse this woman of illegal fabrication.

"Excuse me, sir?" Kate grabbed the elbow of a passing steward. "When is the _Gargantua _arriving? I was told noon."

"Not sure, madam. That's what I heard, too." His attempts to dislodge his detainer were in vain; as he set off towards the offices, Kate doggedly pursued him.

"Then where is it?"

"Couldn't tell you. No one has any idea. We've received no transmissions, message hawks, anything. You'll just have to wait with everybody else."

Dissolute, Kate stalked towards the mooring tower. It rose high above the rest of the city, ready to anchor the absent airship for boarding. Kate stared at the sky, searching for anything. She needed to reach the Ottomans before the Naught, and the Naught had been instructed to leave for their shores at noon. Wonderful. Absolutely…

"Wonderful day out, isn't it, Ms. Solington?" Kate turned to see Tom Kensings at her elbow. "But whatever are you doing here?"

"Does my presence concern you?" questioned Kate, with every ounce of icy unfeeling she could mutter.

"All matters regarding my most prominent boffin concern me. Without you, our army would be naught."

Of course he had to choose that word. _Naught_.

"I'm flattered, I'm sure." She sighed. "If you must know, I'm attempting to get to the Ottoman Empire. My father is ill. Critically ill, they say."

Her excuse was rehearsed. Every hole in the deception was filled.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ms. Solington. If there is anything I can do, tell me. " He sounded sincere.

"Kate, please," she smiled. Curse him. She felt guilty, leading him on like this. "Thank you. It's not often some takes time in the political game to offer assistance. But I'm sure he'll pull through. I won't be gone more than a week or two."

"We need you here, Kate. The American situation-"

"Is being handled perfectly, as far as I'm concerned. I've yet to figure out what role a boffin could play in such negotiations, however."

"If winning their alliance boils down to gift-giving and bribery, we will do it. Therefore we could quite possibly have need of an astounding new beastie to present as tribute."

"I have plans, I have plans. Don't concern yourself with that. Concern yourself with the whereabouts of the _Gargantua._"

"What do you mean?" asked the confused man.

"It was supposed to arrive at noon. No one's heard anything on its location."

"What time is it now?"  
"Quarter past one."

"Damn. How do we lose an airship?"

"You tell me. That's your job, is it not?"

Visibly annoyed, Tom strode off. Kate sighed, and settled herself onto a wooden bench. The wait was sure to be a long one.


	2. What Exactly was your Plan?

The missing ship belatedly appeared, eclipsing the sun. The oversized flippers contorted overhead, trying to maneuver the beast in a position to dock.

It was well past four by now.

The sides of the beast swam with thousands of wingbeats as the albatross wings grafted gracefully to the flanks strove to direct their ship. The whale life threads were, as always, ever-present – its eyes and massive mouth watched without emotion as people bustled beneath it.

The _Gargantua_. Renown throughout the world as the fastest Darwinist airship ever.

Now if she could just get on the bloody thing.

"Excuse me, excuse me!" Kate's yells were lost in the bustling crowd. Thrown up like dust behind an elephantine, the people were uproarious in the wake of the _Gargantua_. Solid walls of people blocked her path.

And yet the weather remained irritatingly pristine, refusing to sour with her mood.

After intentionally wounding a few particularly obstructing citizens with her elbows, Kate arrived at the boarding gate. She handed the attendant her ticket, and was stunned when he didn't immediately let her on board.

"I have a ticket. I am the most prominent boffin on the Board of Security. My father is dying in Istanbul. So tell me. Why, in Darwin's name, are you refusing me passage?"

"I'm sorry, Miss, but we're out of regular cabins. We oversold. If you can pay for an upgrade, we could slot you into a state cabin with another passenger, but…"

"Fine. What do I have to pay?"

"Uh, the state cabins cost two hundred… difference one fifty…"

"Get on with it! What do I have to pay to get on your godforsaken ship?"

"Seventy-five?"

"Here!" She half-threw the bills into the man's face as she stalked away.

"Cabin one-twenty-two!" the attendant shouted to her back.

Kate quickened her pace.

…

While the air inside an airship was never terribly fresh-smelling, Kate was always more at-ease in the air. A very Solington characteristic. Erm, a very Sharp characteristic. The Solington half of the family had never been skilled with beasties.

Kate barely remembered her grandmother, the famed Deryn Sharp. She had died shortly after Kate's fifth birthday, during the crash of her airship. Aleksander, her husband, disappeared that same week. Kate did remember the day after Deryn's death, however: her mother spent the entire day crying, despite her father's attempts to console her. It took a while for the family to recover from the loss.

Kate fingered the charm on her necklace: a golden two-headed eagle. Of course, it was a Russian symbol, and Kate had no Russian heritage. But it was the single gift Kate had from her grandmother. She never took it off.

Kate flung the stately doors to her cabin wide.

She closed them just as fast.

Inside was the unmistakable face of Tom Kensings.

The hell was he doing there? Why was he on the _Gargantua_?

"Kate?" came the laughing voice. "I knew I'd be sharing my cabin, but I didn't expect to be familiar with my roommate."

He eased the door open as Kate fought down the rising urge to flee.

"Mr. Kensings. My apologies, I wasn't expecting this either."

"Come in, come in-"

"I thought you said you needed me in England?" teased Kate. "Did you simply need me to cover for you while you took off?"

"Kate, you insult me. Surely you realize that if I needed an alibi I wouldn't have to resort to trading favors."

"Then what are you doing, going to the Ottoman Empire?"

"Negotiating. In return for creating a beast that will allow them to re-conquer the Turks, they will ally themselves with us."

Kate froze. Damn.

"Kate? What's wrong?"

The airship shook as it released from the mooring tower, prompting Kate into movement. She snatched her trunks, strode into the suite, and promptly froze again.

The view was breathtaking. London, in all its entirety, stretched out ahead of her. People were naught but ants in the distant world at her feet…

Naught! What was wrong with her? It was all she could think about. And now the British Head of Security was heading to the Ottomans to negotiate exactly what she had just done.

This was bad.

"Kate? Are you okay?"

"Tom, I have to tell you something."

"Fine, but settle in first. Give me your trunks. The other bedroom is over here."He opened a heavily carved wooden door onto what was obviously not the second bedroom.

"Tom, this is the master bedroom. You had this suite before I barged in. Therefore, this is your room."

"I insist. You are the lady; I'm merely being a gentleman." Tom bowed dramatically, doffing an imaginary cap.

Kate laughed, but caught herself. "I'm serious, Tom. We need to talk."

"About what?" he asked, as Kate felt the subtle pressure in the back of her heels. The ship was rising.

"Sit down," Tom said, drawing a chair across the burgundy carpet. "What is it?"

"I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you," admitted Kate as she sank into the plush bed. So different from her own.

Tom smiled, cautiously. "About what?"

"My father is healthy would never leave England. Not dying in the Ottoman Empire."

His smile faded. "Then why are you here?"

"The same reason you are. But a few steps ahead."

"What on earth do you mean?"

"Let me give you a brief synopsis. I've been secretly creating a beastie meant as a gift for the Sultan. It's powerful enough to destroy the Turks effortlessly."

"Kate…"

"It's on its way there now. Swimming beneath us."

"Kate-"

"I'm going to offer it to the Sultan in return for alliance. We need America to join our side."

"Kate!" Tom grabbed her wrist. "You _have_ to tell me how the hell you kept this secret. Even I'm not that good." A smile was creeping back to his features, and the tightness in Kate's chest eased slightly.

"You're not going to have me arrested?"

"Barking spiders, Kate! Why would I do that?"

"I illegally fabricated a beast! I stole government resources! I bribed countless officials!"

"You saved our nation!" exclaimed Tom, rising. "Why the _hell _would I arrest you?"

"Mr. Kensings, you're the bloody head of the national security-"

"And I've been pushing this move for months! Finally someone's gone and done something. Now we can act.

"I need you to explain your plan to me in more detail. Describe this creature to me. Then we can figure out the best course of action. Naturally, however, the beastie – whatever it is – needs an origin. Otherwise you're in trouble. My influence only goes so far; in a court your actions could be painted as treasonous."

"Why can't you simply say you instructed me to create a beast?"

"Because nobody was supposed to know about this plan! I could lose my job if I was suspected of sharing government secrets."

"Damn it, Tom. What are we going to do?"

Tom laughed, catching Kate off-guard. "I enjoy how you used 'we' instead of 'I.' I suppose it's too late for me to feign ignorance, isn't it?"

"Very. And after all, this… mishap could end up beneficial."  
"It's …possible, to say the least. What exactly was your plan?"

Kate's dress rustled as she stood. "The beastie I created is called the Naught. Its life threads are those of a jellyfish, a chameleon, and an octopus, with elements of eel, krait, stonefish, and sea dragon. When in polluted waters, like the Turkish–controlled Black Sea, the Naught becomes a supersized, venomous stonefish, blending effortlessly with the seabed. When in clean water, however, like the Ottoman Mediterranean, the Naught transforms into a serpent-like beast. Upon presenting the Naught to the Sultan, I will spread rumors that the Ottomans have a giant serpent to use against the Turks, and then transport the beastie to the polluted Black Sea. There, the beast will transform into is less conspicuous mode, and since the Turks will be watching for a serpent, it should slip pass their defenses effortlessly. From there, it will slowly destroy their navy. An agent can then inject the beastie with thyroid, upon which it will undergo a metamorphism, becoming terrestrial and capable of invading their land forces. Essentially, it will cripple the nation before its rulers are even aware of what's happening."

Tom was silent for a moment.

"Frankly, Ms. Solington, I'm not sure what to think. Should I fear you? Or should I admire you? For you have qualities worthy of both."

"Mr. Kensings, if you do not want my assistance or my creation I shall take my leave."

"I mean it in jest. You are a formidable genius."

"Regardless. What do we tell the Ottomans? If they knew you were coming to negotiate, they won't be expecting a beastie then and there.

"Or," said Tom, surveying the landscape beneath, "we could use the thing as leverage. We can explain the beastie, and offer an ultimatum. Either the Sultan can accept the gift now, or receive none at all. They won't be happy, but it could work."

"The problem remains, however: where do we say we got the beastie? You can't reveal that it was illegally fabricated."

"Do you still want credit for the Naught?"

"If I can get it."

"Then, well, we're going to need to do some bribing. Send a message hawk to your supervisor. Explain the situation. We need him to say he ordered you to fabricate this beastie, for whatever purpose he can come up with. I can come up with papers to show that the government commandeered the beastie for this mission."

"It's a long shot: if the message hawk is intercepted, or if my supervisor disapproves…"

"It's not a question of whether or not he'll approve of it. Of course he isn't going to like it. But he'll be willing enough if we give him enough money."

"Are you sure about this, Tom?"

"Perfectly. Now then, Kate. I believe we should be crossing the English Channel shortly; shall we head down to the bridge?"


	3. I'm a Genius, Remember?

Something was wrong with the ship. That much was obvious.

Wine bottles in the dining hall were falling over, vases were clattering to the floor. The ship was dropping. Fast.

A message lizard crawled into the amplification box, and the captain's voice resonated throughout the chamber.

"Passengers, do not be alarmed. For some reason, the _Gargantua _is venting hydrogen

rapidly; however, we should still be able to land safely. We've had to detour slightly, so we are currently cruising over Russia, but we've contacted their authorities and secured permission to land and begin repairs. We should be back on course by sunrise."

Kate extended a shaky hand towards her wine glass, taking it in her hands as something in the kitchen fell with a bang. She couldn't be delayed any more. If the Naught reached the Ottoman Empire before they did, all was lost. She glanced at Tom, chatting casually with various socialites across the room. Kate knew nobody else aboard the ship. She had no desire to meet anyone else. But the sight of Tom, unfazed and unconcerned, prompted her to rise.

"Mr. Kensings," she interjected. "Would you mind introducing me?"

"Suki, this is Ms. Solington." The Japanese woman smiled and bowed. "Ms. Solington is accompanying me to the negotiations."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Solington. Your skill with life threads is legendary, or so I hear. I represent the Wu Di Association, from Japan."

"Kate, please. And the pleasure is mine! I've long admired the Wu Di – it is no simple feat, combining mechanics with fabrications."

"That is true, unfortunately. It seems America could not manage it."

"Indeed. And Tom, who is this?" An elderly gentleman lurked beside Tom, staring blankly through the windows despite the obscuring blackness of the night.

"Mr. Cross?"

"Hmm?" The man turned.

"Mr. Cross, this is my companion, Ms. Solington."

"How do you do?" Kate began to respond, but gave up. The man remained fixated on the blackness.

"Clanker mechanic. On his way to the Turks," whispered Tom, drawing her aside. "Can we talk for a moment?"

"Of course. Suki, Mr. Cross. A moment, if you would." Kate followed Tom back to the table.

"Russia, Kate. Why are we over Russia? Russia isn't even close to our projected route. And why on earth would we have to detour? Something's wrong."

"You think I didn't notice that? It's not like we're plunging towards foreign soil or anything. How are we supposed to get to the Ottoman Empire in time?"

"Kate. Someone sabotaged the _Gargantua_. They must have. Airships don't simply spring leaks or wear out patches of skin. Someone must have done something. Our course takes us over France and Italy, for Darwin's sake!"

"Why would anyone want to land the ship in Russia? How does that benefit anybody?"

"First the ship was mysteriously detained, correct? It showed up almost two hours late. Now we're hovering over Russia, when our projected course was to be through France and Italy. You're absolutely certain you told no one of your plan?"

"No one, Tom. I was forced to pay off the occasional worker, but-"

"Then somebody squealed, Kate. Somebody knows about this plan. A Clanker, presumably, someone who wants to stop us."

"It doesn't make sense, though. Why bring us down in Russia? Why not Germany, which is far closer to our route?"

Something crashed in the background. Chairs were starting to skitter across the floor.

"Kate. Come on." Tom grabbed Kate's hand tried to run. Kate laughed and shook him off.

"There's a shortcut," Kate said.

"How do you know where I'm trying to go?"

"I'm a genius, remember?"

…

They arrived in the cargo bay, Kate a bizarre calm. The giant fleshy doors lay on the bottom of the ship, opened like a mouth screaming for help.

Kate snatched up two ornithoper helmets, and flipped one to Tom.

"Kate!" Tom yelled over the whistling wind. He was staring, bewildered, at the giant dragonfly-like beasts that lined the walls. "Do you know how to fly one of these?"

"Of course!" she responded. "I invented them!"

She strode over to the nearest beastie, stroking it along its back. The thing shuddered, then detached itself from the wall and maneuvered into the takeoff position just before the cargo doors.

Kate opened the door of the glass cockpit that lay atop the beastie's head, beckoning to Tom.

The ground was rushing to meet them, and one could see the earth beneath the cargo doors.

"Hurry, Tom, or I'm leaving without you!"

"Kate!" he screamed, diving in the seat after her as the beastie's wings whirred.

"Hold on, Tom. I'm warning you."

They took off, diving through the cargo doors like an ungainly ballerina, pirouetting and spiraling through the air. But they remained aloft, the faithful beastie refusing to crash.

They watched from the air as the _Gargantua_ slowed just before impact, the captain venting hydrogen as the albatross wings strained to keep aloft. It alighted rather delicately on an open field, and satisfied that the passengers were safe, Kate, Tom, and the dragonfly beast skittered away.

…

"Tell me again why we abandoned ship. Everything would have been fine," said the exasperated head of security.

"It was your idea."

"It was not!"

"But you pointed out that whoever sabotaged the ship did it to sabotage our plan! We had to escape! It's the logical conclusion-"

"To any normal person, it wouldn't be."

"I'm not normal, Tom. You should know that by now."

No, she wasn't, was she? She was by far the most superb creature he had ever seen. Intelligent beyond compare, beautiful beyond fathom, determined beyond limits. He felt inferior in her presence, a housecat beside a tiger. Well, besides a dragonfly in any case – the beastie they had flown away on had taken a strange liking to Tom.

Tom sighed as the thing nuzzled his hand. "So what do we do now?"

"We have to get to the Ottoman Empire. We have two, three days before the beastie arrives."

"Why can't the beastie fly us?"

"It's a dragotine. Not a beastie."

"Fine. Why can't the dragotine fly us?'

"It's too weak. It would have to stop every two hours to rest."

"Damn. Then we have to find an airship."

"We're in Russia, Tom. We can't speak Russian."

"Говорите за себя," said Tom, grinning.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Speak for yourself."

"You can speak Russian? Why?"

"I'm the head of security. I run the nation's army. I know almost every European language, and a little Swahili, too. But that doesn't help if there's no one to talk to."

"What do you mean?"

"Look around, Kate. Do you see anyone selling airship tickets?"

They were surrounded by shades of dull green, no sign of civilization anywhere. The sun broke through the dirty gray sky to lend occasional spots of brightness, but everywhere else the landscape was gloomy and blatantly uninhabited. Wonderful.

Had Kate not been desperate to save her country, she would have found the open spaces beautiful. She would have been thrilled.

Tom, on the other hand, would always miss his native England while away, whether or not he had involuntarily entered into a race against a giant stonefish.

But hey, he figured. Opposites attract, right?

…

5


End file.
